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Walter Horner Jr., 68

Walter Seigle Horner Jr., 68, of St. Mary’s, passed away on Thursday, Jan. 17, 2013, at Select Specialty Hospital in Akron, after an extended illness.
He was born Aug. 1, 1944, in Ravenna, the son of Eloise (nee Marks) and Walter (Jack) Horner, who preceded him in death.
He is survived by two nieces, Kim Ullman (Mark Schmidt), of Cuyahoga Falls, and Kyle Ullman (Richard Freeman), of Gosport, Ind.; and numerous extended relatives.
He was preceded in death by his sister, Dixie Lee (Horner) Ullman.
Horner’s mother, through her mother, was a direct descendant of Stephen Meyers Jr.; the first settler of Streetsboro Township in 1822. He was also a member of the Dewey family who migrated to Massachussetts in 1631, a part of the “Great Puritan Migration”. The Dewey family subsequently moved south along the Connecticut River Valley and were the founding family of the state of Connecticut.
Walter spent the formative years of his life in Portage County. Upon graduation from Kent State University in 1966 with an education degree, he embarked upon a trip to Europe, studying in England and touring sites in France and elsewhere on the continent. In later years he also traveled to Russia, Spain and Mexico. Walter enjoyed a successful high school teaching career, first at Marysville, and then at Wapakoneta, where he taught government, civics, and other social studies courses, and from which school he retired from teaching in the late 1990s. After his retirement, Walter remained active in the community as a member of the Retired Teachers Association, The St. Marys Gardeners, Wapakoneta Education Association and the Wayne Street United Methodist Church. He was also a member of the Retired Teachers Association, the Auglaize County Historical Society. He loved to travel and visit historic sites around Ohio. Walter was the docent at the Mooney Museum in St. Marys for many years. He was an avid historian and acted as the Walter Horner Family genealogist. Walter was a frequent patron of the St. Marys Community Public Library where he especially enjoyed reading history books. He was a voracious collector of books as well. He was a devoted caretaker to his mother for a decade. Walter was known for his sharp sense of humor and his incisive commentary about the human condition.
Walter enjoyed spending time with his loved ones (especially Harry, Wills, Maxine and Boots) and numerous friends.Jules Dowling shared with him the love of animals, and gardening. Rachel Barber of Wapakoneta also shared his love of history and the history of Auglaize County.
He was especially grateful for all of the kindnesses extended to him during this past year.
Services are at 1 p.m. Tuesday at Wayne Street United Methodist Church, 130 N Wayne St., St. Marys, with the Rev. Steve Weatherly officiating. Burial will be a private ceremony at Riverside Cemetery in Shalersville.
Friends may call from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesday in the sanctuary of the church.
Immediately afterward a dinner will be hosted in the Fellowship Hall for anyone wishing to attend.
Contributions may be made to the Auglaize County Historical Society and to SART Cat Adoption & Rescue in St. Marys.